The Changing Role of Legal Department – Can Artificial Intelligence Influence it?

Inhouse legal has undergone substantive changes in the last few decades. Gone are the days when it acted in an advisory capacity providing legal advices at a very high level. Its primary role was to provide legal advices as asked for by the businesses. By and large it refrained from taking an active role with the businesses to enable them to strike a deal. Legal department’s main role was to be away from commercial activities/decision making processes and take high moral ground of acting merely as “Conscience Keeper”.

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay is President (Legal) and General Counsel of the Hinduja Group and is involved in the Group’s worldwide legal matters based in London since June 2002. Previously, he worked in India as Company Secretary and Head of Legal in six major multinational, public and private sector companies. During his time in education, Abhijit graduated in Commerce (Honours) and Law both from the UK and India. He is also a qualified Company and Chartered Secretary both from India and the UK. In India, Abhijit has been listed in the top 50 legal professionals, the top 25 General Counsels, and the Legal 500 most powerful list. Recently Abhijit has been included in the list of top 99 General Counsels from 31 countries. The Hinduja Group, headquartered in London, employs 127,000 people in 60 countries with a global annual turnover of USD 18 billion. It has 10 business verticals in automotive, foundry, power, healthcare, BPO, lubricant, media, chemical, explosives and real estate. Abhijit was the Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Commission on Arbitration and ADR as also a member of its Steering Committee in Paris (2014-2017). He is also on the Advisory Board of CCLS, Queen Mary University of London and an Executive Committee Member of the IBF, Confederation of Indian Industry, UK. He has spoken globally and his articles have been published in many countries.

Hinduja Group, London

Hinduja Group is a USD 20 Billion annual turnover conglomerate with 127,000 people operating in more than 60 countries and dealing with 11 business verticals in core sectors marketing its products in more than 100 countries and IPRs registered in more than 100 countries. Its business verticals are automotive/foundry, lubricant, BPO, healthcare including hospitals, banking, industrial explosives, power, renewable energy, media and entertainment as also real estate.